The invention relates to a universal joint with a securing element that serves to secure a bearing bushing supporting a journal cross and that is received in a bearing bore of a yoke arm of a joint yoke.
German Patent No. 34 46 456 C1 describes an axial retainment of a bearing bushing in a yoke eye of a joint yoke of a universal joint. Adjacent to the bearing bore, in an area of the same projecting to the outside over the base of the bearing bushing, an annular groove extending over the complete circumference is provided. On two diametrically opposite positions of the eye portion, a groove is respectively provided, into which a securing ring, formed in cross-section as an angle ring with projections, can be inserted and can then be turned for the retainment so that the projections engage in the groove. The securing of the ring against rotation is then carried out by means of a grub screw. Thus, for the securing ring, a type of bayonet locking is selected.
When articulating the joint yokes of a universal joint relative to each other, the yoke arms of the one joint yoke engage mutually in a gap between the yoke arms of the other joint yoke. The yoke arms of a joint yoke are connected to a connection portion. The yoke arms project from the connection portion of the joint yoke in an offset manner relative to the longitudinal axis. The free ends of the yoke arms dip, respectively, into the gap between the yoke arms of the other joint yoke. The larger the distance of the outer contour of the yoke arms in the area of their ends distanced to the connection portion from the articulation center of the joint, the larger is the rotational circle when articulating the two joint yokes to each other. Basically, it is necessary especially for the universal-jointed shafts, designed for a high capacity of torque, to design the individual joint yokes of a universal joint to be as compact as possible, i.e., to keep the rotational diameter as small as possible.
Therefore, the invention has the object to provide a universal joint that, when maintaining the capacity of articulation of the joint yokes of the universal joint to each other, is formed more compact, i.e., has a smaller rotational diameter.